Soup basics
Soups are simply wonderful meals and a cook who makes good soup is a good cook indeed.
A good soup is flavourful. It could have lots of ingredients but the taste shouldn’t be muddled; it should sing out clear. A leek soup should predominantly taste like leeks; a chicken soup must have good chicken flavour before you add other ingredients; a seafood soup should have a taste that transports you to the seashore.
You can enjoy the versatility of soups for dinners, lunches or snacks. Add a few crackers, a piece of crusty bread, a bowl of rice, some noodles or top with a dumpling and you have yourself a satisfying meal.
Stock or not?
A soup's base is important. Homemade stock is better than store-bought but I realize not everyone has the time or patience to always have homemade stock on hand. You can easily make a good stock such as Light Beef and Chicken Stock by using a slow cooker (it's actually the only thing I ever use that appliance for!)
Many soups need no stock at all because their ingredients sufficiently flavour the soup. And if you always use stock in your soups, you risk having all your soups taste more or less the same. Remember that, sometimes, good clear water is your best friend.
Instant smooth vegetable soups
If you have a blender and some stock, you can make a wonderful – and wonderfully simple – soup from almost any vegetable you have at hand.
Here’s a guideline: Blanch 2 cups/500 mL chopped vegetables; drain. Place in blender with 1 cup/250 mL chicken or vegetable stock and purée. Transfer to saucepan and stir in 3 cups/750 mL more stock. Season to taste with salt and white or black pepper; simmer for 2 to 5 minutes.
For a cream soup, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup/60 to 125 mL whipping cream and, if desired, a scraping of nutmeg; return to simmer for 2 minutes. It's easy and satisfying.
I’ve created or recorded lots of soup recipes over the years, and here are a few of my favourites, especially suited to a February table.
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